18 June 2014

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss Review

You know sometimes when you explore a new range for the first time, you just fall utterly in love with everything about that product? Yup, that is exactly how I feel about the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss* (£7.99) range. Infused with Shine Enhancers and Smoothing Oil, and formulated with a conditioning formula that works to leave lips feeling moisturised, soft and smooth, the range makes some big claims. With 9 gorgeous shades available, I've been lucky enough to try out 5 shades from the range, which promise to give high-shine and a smooth feel without the tacky stick of many glosses on the market.

First, let's talk formula. I like my glosses to be slightly on the thicker side, with no extra-stickiness and great pigmentation (unless of course, it's meant to be a sheer gloss such as nude glosses) I like easy application, lasting power and being able to team glosses with lipsticks, without it looking messy or mismatched. I like packaging that's eye-catching, but easy to hold and even easier to apply, as re-applying gloss in my case is usually when walking somewhere in a hurry or on the tube. For the type of product they are, lip glosses always have a lot of boxes to tick for me, more so than lipsticks. It's hard to impress me where glosses are concerned, and if a brand does? Well, they're definitely a keeper in the lip product stash.

The packaging of the Colour Elixir Lip Gloss range is, for me, absolutely perfect. They still have a luxurious look and feel to them, which is a rarity for drugstore brands. I love the clear casing with gold top, big, big fan! There's no gimmicks with the wand, a simple doe-foot applicator which makes applying effortless. The consistency is perfect for me, not too thin, not too thick, and definitely no sticky feel. In fact, they feel weightless when on and really comfortable to wear. I find I only need to re-apply after eating and drinking, and I love the almost vanilla cupcake scent each gloss has. Ticking all of my boxes so far. But what about the shades?

Luxurious Berry is more on the sheer side, so better teamed with a lipstick and I find the subtle berry colour works really well with nudes or deeper toned shades. Delightful Pink is another fairly sheer shade, but perfect with a nude or soft pink lip on a summers day with the fine iridescent pink shimmer running through. Enchanting Coral is where the glosses start to get some oomph, with better pigmentation, and Enchanting Coral is just utterly beautiful, a true coral that can be worn alone or teamed with your favourite coral lipsticks. Luscious Amethyst is a stunning shimmer packed shade, that to me is a perfect mauve that would work particularly well in colder months on warmer, purple lipsticks. Polished Fuchsia is a lovely berry red, which when teamed with your favourite red lip is perfect, but with enough pigmentation to be worn alone. I'm really quite smitten with all shades.

What do you think to the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss range? Have you tried the range yourself? What's your favourite shade? What makes the perfect lip gloss for you?